It’s classic advice to surround yourself with interesting, inspiring, uplifting people.  Sometimes you can create that environment, and sometimes you just get lucky and find yourself in such a situation like I did last weekend.  I had been invited to demonstrate and discuss bowl  carving at Fine Woodworking Live in Southbridge, Massachusetts.  So, I demonstrated and discussed, which was a wonderful experience thanks to the enthusiasm and great questions from the attendees.  However, what I did most at the event was learn.

My education started Friday morning when I assisted Peter Follansbee as he taught fifteen students spoon carving.  At Greenwood Fest, Peter and I are usually presenting simultaneously, so this was a golden opportunity to watch him teach.   I learned a lot from that, as well as from Peter’s auditorium presentation on the “Green Woodworking Renaissance.”  Watch a presentation by Peter and you’ll achieve a deeper understanding, laughing all along the way.  Although he humbly downplayed his significant role in this renaissance, Peter shared his broad and valuable perspective on how we’ve reached a point where adzes are a hot commodity and fresh shavings are falling to the feet of more and more woodworkers.

The trend continued with an intensely thought-provoking keynote address by Peter Galbert, entitled “A Chairmaker’s Journey.”  Pete’s talk was a fascinating story of a voyage of discovery, richly illustrated.  He shared practical wisdom on aesthetics and techniques, as well as insight into the philosophical approach that has made Pete’s journey as a maker so meaningful.

I continued to learn from Pete’s demo on spindle turning.  Although I have no woodturning ambitions, it was a good indication of how transferable knowledge and skills are.  I gained so much perspective from Pete’s demonstration regarding aesthetics, sharpening, material considerations, even courage.  Same goes for my experience with Mary May’s demonstration of carving a ball-and-claw foot.  I don’t anticipate a ball-and-claw footed bowl, but that’s beside the point.  I was able to gain a new perspective on many things from tool choice to methods of layout to envisioning a design.

I’ve just scratched the surface, but that will have to do.  The line-up of presenters was incredible, and I was fortunate to get to talk with many of them.  I was inspired by them as well as the attendees and students.  Just a rich environment of people sharing knowledge, ideas, and laughs with one another.

I was so involved in taking things in that I never thought to take even a single photo.  That’s poor discipline for a guy with a blog.  So I’ve included a couple sketches of  a spoon that Peter Follansbee gave me at the event.  I was compelled to sketch it to learn more about it and because I like it.  Already looking forward to hanging out with Peter again, and a whole host of characters at Greenwood Fest in just over a month.